We were back in our usual venue with Amir. This week, he pulled funny faces at us, though he explained that it had nothing to do with our singing but was a way of turning the page on his iPad without using his hands!
There are quite a few high notes to perfect this week.
We went through We'll Gather Lilacs in more detail, which Amir agreed was a very difficult arrangement. He did say some of the harmonies were there, so he had something to work with.
When we get to '…share again,' it should be a full sound from everyone.
Altos, be ready to come straight in with your lyrics after the Ohs so it doesn't seem like a surprise!
Sop 1s, you have the high notes, so put your chin down a little on the highest one in 'All I want to know…' and sing as if it were coming out of the top of your head!
Basses, don't be lured onto the tune ..' want to know' is all on the same note!
You'll Never Walk Alone is a show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel. In the second act of the musical, Nettie Fowler, the cousin of the protagonist Julie Jordan, sings You'll Never Walk Alone to comfort and encourage Julie when her husband, Billy Bigelow, the male lead, stabs himself with a knife whilst trying to run away after attempting a robbery with his mate Jigger and dies in her arms.
The song is reprised as an epilogue in the final scene to encourage a graduation class of which Louise (Billy and Julie's daughter) is a member as the Starkeeper is about to give them a graduation sermon. The now invisible Billy, who has been granted the chance to return to Earth for one day to redeem himself, watches the ceremony and, at the end of the Starkeeper's sermon, can silently motivate Louise and Julie to join in with the song as the whole congregation unite in singing along with them urged on by the Starkeeper as he ascends to paradise.
The song is also sung at association football clubs around the world, where it is performed by a mass chorus of supporters on match day; this tradition developed at Liverpool F.C. after the chart success of the 1963 single of the song by the local Liverpool group Gerry and the Pacemakers.
In some areas of the United Kingdom and Europe, You'll Never Walk Alone became the anthem of support for medical staff, first responders, and those in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our version starts with the Altos, followed by the Sops, building up to the Tenors and Basses joining in. When it gets to 'You'll never walk alone,' only the Sops sing 'alone,' and the other voice parts start their Oohs after two clicks: You'll never walk (click, click) Ooh….
This song must be kept moving forward as it can drag and become boring and dirge-like.
Sop 1s get that top note again, which is the pinnacle of the song and needs to be sung very loudly and then coming down to a very quiet 'alone'
Basses stay down at the end and don't be tempted to go up with the Tenors.
Something Inside So Strong is a song written and recorded by British singer-songwriter Labi Siffre. Released as a single in 1987, it was one of the biggest successes of his career, peaking at number four on the UK Singles Chart.
The song was written in 1984, inspired by a television documentary on apartheid in South Africa seen by Labi Siffre, in which white soldiers were filmed shooting at black civilians in the street. He told the BBC's Soul Music programme in 2014 that the song was also influenced by his experience as a homosexual child, adolescent, and adult.
Siffre originally intended to have another artist sing the song, but he could find no suitable artist and was persuaded to release it himself.
The song has remained enduringly popular and exemplifies the political and sociological thread running through much of Siffre's lyrics and poetry. It won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically and has been used in Amnesty International campaigns.
We started this song with a strong 'h' of our 'hms' so it can be clearly heard. A hive of bees comes to mind!
Altos and Tenors emphasise 'Oh No!'
Tenors – you have the tune, so enjoy it.
I expect we will finish this song next week when Eamonn returns. However, please bring all the music in Dropbox with you and be prepared for whatever challenges we are given.
Inflagrante: Caught in the Act
This week, everything changed as we had a replacement Musical Director, Amir Schoenfeld and a temporary location in the downstairs bar.
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Although the choir has grown to around sixty members, we were very thin on the ground with holidays and sickness. We look forward to seeing you all fit and well soon.
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Amir warmed us up with stretches and Many men, many men, many men-men-men before we recapped All My Trials, which he said sounded tentative. He worked on the dynamics of this song to make a big contrast between the different sections. Starting at a moderate volume and rising to ‘die,’ we then go very quiet, almost a whisper, to ‘All my trials, Lord, soon be over.’
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Immediately, we increased the volume to super loud on ‘Too late my brothers’ (or sisters second time around). It should be explosive and hold on to brothers (or sisters) until the end of the bar and then go back to the very quiet ‘Too late but never mind’ and the whispered ‘All my trials, Lord’.
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'‘Now hush, little baby (Jane), don't you cry. …’ section should be gentle', unlike baby Jane. My homage to the film 'What Ever Happened to Baby Jane'. She got old!
 Once we mastered this dynamic technique, it sounded very impressive.
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Fields of Gold was next. We sang through it, and it wasn’t a complete crash and burn-; we just needed a few tweaks.
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Again, we needed dynamics. ‘Gold’ on page 2 needs building up to a crescendo, but only from the second note. Start ‘gold at the same volume as the verse, then gradually build up the volume to the end. Quickly breathe and straight into a loud ‘Will you stay with me….’ Until the ‘jealous sky’ and a diminuendo starts from ‘as we lie in fields of gold’.
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Build up the crescendo on ‘Gold’ again to increase the volume for ‘I never made promises lightly…’
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After these technical dynamic adjustments, we tried ‘We’ll Gather Lilacs’. A song by Welsh composer Ivor Novello, which he wrote for the hit musical romance Perchance to Dream. The stage musical opened at the Hippodrome Theatre in London's West End in 1945 and ran until 1948.
The song, sung in the show by Olive Gilbert, was the most popular and enduring to emerge from the production.
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Written as World War II drew close, the song describes the yearning for parted couples to reunite. It evokes the joy they would feel when together again and the pleasures of the English countryside in spring with its lilac blossom.
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The song was performed at Novello's cremation in 1951 by Olive Gilbert.
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Our rendition had the spirit of the song but needed more work—more than a little—and that may be a generous statement!
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This will be on the list for next week, so please check that you have the newest music score from Dropbox (anyone who has sung this before, please do not use your old copy of the music). Please familiarise yourself with this song and the others in Dropbox, as Amir will also be going through some of them.
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We will meet in our usual room next week. I look forward to seeing you in good voice and with all the right music in your folders.
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There was a good turnout last night; however, the Tenor and Bass sections needed to be thicker on the ground. That didn’t stop them from being heard, even if they were seduced to the tune by the Sops.
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For those of you who have never sung in concert or a reminder for those who already have, please train yourself for ‘Stillness’ at the end of EVERY song.
REMEMBER NOT TO MOVE until the last note has sounded on the piano. Do not turn the page to the next song, scratch your nose, etc. You can be guaranteed to get the famous Eamonn glare if you commit this grave misdemeanour!
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We recapped The Salley Gardens. Enjoy the three-part harmony on ‘Gardens’ and lean into it.
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When the Basses join with the Tenors in verse two, it should sound rich and passionate.
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‘..As the grass grows on the weirs…’ it should gradually get quiet so it fades away and not be a sudden change. Know when to come in on ‘, but I was young and foolish ….’ As there is no help with the piano. You have to feel it.
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Time After Time 1979. A bit of fun.
Time After Time followed. Tenors and Basses pitch your first note higher than expected.
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Again, there is no help when to start ‘If you're lost you can look ….’ After ‘the second hand unwinds’ apart from the slight ‘chink’ sound in the piano.
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Keep your breathing rhythmic in this chorus section, which will keep it moving and syncopated.
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The verses are rather dull, so make it enjoyable by enunciating the words and telling the story.
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Please learn the words for the chorus of All My Trials so you can look up and watch Eamonn for the critical timing. Everyone seems to be in a hurry to get the trials over!
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Remember, ‘Brothers’ and ‘Sisters’ are long and loud; sing them until the end of the bar and take a quick breath before quietly singing ‘Too late but never mind’.
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Sop 1s in the ‘Now hush little baby….’ section; this is flexible, so watch Eamonn closely for timing.Â
Again, no help, so take a quick breath after ‘cry’, then don’t breathe until after you sing ‘die’
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Luxuriate in this, making it weighty and with depth.
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After a well-earned break, we returned to Fields of Gold, a song written and performed by English musician Sting. The singer described the view from his 16th-century Wiltshire manor house:
In England, I live in a house surrounded by barley fields, and in the summer, it's fascinating to watch the wind moving over the shimmering surface like waves on an ocean of gold. There's something inherently sexy about the sight, something primal as if the wind were making love to the barley. I'm sure lovers have made promises here, their bonds strengthened by the comforting cycle of the seasons.
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Many musical artists have covered the song. American singer and guitarist Eva Cassidy recorded a version that first appeared on her 1996 live album Live at Blues Alley, then later on her albums Songbird (1998) and The Best of Eva Cassidy (2012). Eva Cassidy's version charted in Sweden and the Netherlands in 2008 and 2013, respectively. British-Georgian singer Katie Melua, a fan of Eva Cassidy, recorded a version that was released as the BBC Children in Need single for 2017
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Love this version by Katie Melua
In the past, Fields of Gold has been the nemesis for the Sop 1s as they don’t have the tune and have Oohs! I’m sure they can do their homework and instil confidence in themselves and Eamonn that they can achieve this challenge.
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Sop 2s have the tune.
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Deep breaths are needed as ‘gold’ is a very long note.
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Talking of breathing, don’t breathe in ‘Feel her body rise when you kiss her mouth’
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A gentle diminuendo at the end as you ‘walk in fields of gold.’
Trillers on the Perch
Evan Rule, our Bass singer, is the stage manager for How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found, written by Fin Kennedy at The Questors Theatre
from 13th -21st September. Box Office: questors.org.uk. Tel:02085675184
 What makes us who we are?
That is an interesting question!
Meet Charlie Hunt, a successful advertising executive. He’s living the high-flying life of sleepless nights and bottomless bubbly. But there is one problem: everything is fake. Meanwhile, Sophie, a pathologist, examines a lifeless body... As this woman haunts Charlie, the falsities of his corporate world creep into mayhem, forcing him to buck the system. But how many parts of himself can he give up before he stops existing?Â
This award-winning play follows one man’s dissociation from reality as he embarks on a darkly surreal journey to escape himself. Come and discover how to disappear completely without breaking a single law.Â
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 Next week, we will be at the downstairs bar with Amir. Beware of new versions of We’ll Gather Lilacs and All My Trails.
Please bring all the music in the Dropbox; you can’t go wrong.Â
Until next week!